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Blog

Nonprofit Insurance Services

July 22, 2015

In any organization, good media relation is paramount. Media can change your organization in a positive or negative way.

When fundraising, media relation must be highly considered and handled in a professional manner that would retain or improve the organization’s image.

Before we explore how to manage media relationship when fundraising, let us understand first the meaning of the two words “media relation” and “fundraising”.

What is media relation?

This is the kind of a relationship an organization or company develops with journalists through press releases, interviews and stories about the company. Big organizations have departments like PR that deal with the outside media.

What is fundraising?

This is a process of collecting voluntary cash contributions by appealing for donations from businesses, individuals, charitable organizations or government agencies.

The following are the ways you could handle media relation in case you are doing a fundraising.

1.Choose your best media houses

Some media houses would be wanting to the public because of the information they disseminate. Such media houses are not safe in publishing your project. Always go for houses with a good reputation. Donors believe the media, so ensure your story to be told by the right media.

2.Make friends with journalists or editors

Make prior friendship with journalist or editors from the media houses you have chosen and let them help you developing your story to look appealing to donors. You do not need to go to every media house befriending every editor though, get one editor to work with. What you need is a quality story that can interest donors.

3.Give a genuine story.

No fake story will prosper in the media. Good media relation is giving out the truth and the truth alone.The moment you give out a false story, it will come to haunt your endeavors to receive funds. Your cooked story’s truth will be unveiled sooner or later, and that will be a huge story in the media.

4.Give respect to the media

Make the media feel appreciated. If an invitation for a cup of coffee will make them feel respected, do that. You will be developing a good relationship, and your story will be told perfectly.

These are some of the ways you could handle media relation when doing fundraiser. You can look for more, but if you adhere to the four points, your project will succeed.